Meet The Artisans

After being laid off from her job in the midst of last year's pandemic, Adriana Mejia founded Almā in Cholula, Mexico. With a passion for entrepreneurship from when she was a young child, Adriana did not hesitate to start her own brand. Her incredible artistic talent can be seen in the beauty of her handmade pieces, which convey her true essence and creativity.

The name Almā, which in English means “soul,” was inspired by the fact that Adriana transmits her soul into every piece she creates. Almā’s goal is to design home decor pieces using eco-friendly materials and a conscious production method, avoiding waste and excessively large inventories.

Kastadöni was born from the love and passion Natalia Vivanco and Cristina Díaz have for their country, its culture, its artistry, and most importantly its people. As friends and entrepreneurs with the motivation to represent the work of Mexican artisans through decorative handmade textiles, Natalia and Cristine work to empower their team of artisans, giving them the recognition, admiration, and fair trade they deserve. Kastadöni’s goal is to give something back to their country that has given them so much and has made them who they are.

Crudo Caan is an artisanal jewelry studio based in Mexico City. The studio mainly works with clay and different ancestral techniques of Mexican culture. Everything created in the studio is designed, crafted, and assembled carefully by hand.

Crudo Caan seeks to connect their deep ancestral Mexican roots to a global community in constant search for timeless creations, through handmade and ethically crafted ceramics and natural fiber pieces. Behind the creation of each piece, there is a natural rhythm–a simple minimalistic design and admiration of Mexican prehispanic civilizations.

Numu is a beginning, the root and the start; the freedom and the possibility of constant change. Numu creates unique objects to accompany you in your daily life; to promote union, coexistence and rituals through memorable experiences.

Founded by Natalie Priede, a passionate designer committed to aesthetics and organic processes, Numu was inspired by the dream to create items with meaning that can be present in the most special of life's moments; the moments of which life is made of.

 

Kalina was founded in 2021 with a desire to share the passion of home decoration and tableware styling with the world. Stepping into an extremely competitive landscape, Kalina creators, Regina and Alejandra, launched their brand with a commitment to quality and style at competitive prices.

After months seeking out the best Mexican artisans and craftspeople around the country, they found a local craft workshop in Tonalá, Jalisco; a town better known for its clay and ceramic arts and crafts. Today they bring their crafts to customers around the world.

Yooko Studio was founded by Alejandro Vazquez in 2014 as a learning laboratory to explore the intersection of art and design through contemporary ceramics. With a background in Industrial Design, Alejandro is in charge of all of the processes, from design to production, handcrafting each unique piece himself.

Over time he has developed a catalog of products, offering a variety of colors, shapes and textures born from the manual construction of clay and the combination of glazes.

Marakame is a brand that proposes a creative way of merging art, design, and culture. They believe that they can make this trilogy of concepts converge through their project of dissemination and marketing of unique pieces of Mexican Art: Wixárika Art (Huichol), Oaxacan Alebrijes and Mata Ortiz Ceramics. Their pieces are made by families from diverse rural communities including the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Chihuahua, and Oaxaca, Mexico.

The brand continues to grow from the collective idea of Marcela Abarca and visual artist Fernando Motilla, who were immediately fascinated by the precise and mystical symbolism expressed within the prismatic Huichol bead and yarn work, conceptually translating the universe.

Both Fernando and Marcela have connected the production of these pieces, collaborating from an unorthodox space, participating in the world of the Huichol artist; the spirituality of art. It is within each of these Huichol pieces, crafted with an unfaltering determination, that contains the symbolic designs of ceremonial practices, giving form and expression to their philosophy and practice of life. By participating in this culture, they have been able to understand and verify that Mexico has a very profound and largely undiscovered cultural wealth.

Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, Entrepiso is a proudly Mexican, artisan enterprise supporting local craftspeople committed to preserving tradition and culture through their work.

Passionate about local art and creativity, they strive to strengthen the local economy by offering unique artisan goods that have been made with the same local materials and ancestral techniques passed through the generations.

Maria José Casas Alatriste Rion is a Mexican architect and artisan by life. Her mother, Maria Josefina Rion, was a ceramist and jeweler, who always involved her and her siblings in the whole NAÄB process, the art of clay; from the production, understanding of the materials, the versatility and adaptability of products, the relationship with the client and the importance of creating a product that adapts.

Two years ago she started a project, which began when she needed a lamp for her new house, and today is SHÜVIA, a line of uniquely designed artisan lamps.

Inspired by the warmth and simplicity of Nordic style, Guadalupe González founded Méedi in 2018 with a mission to create products that will bring a sense of coziness and natural aesthetics to your home.

The name Méedi, comes from a Mexican word that joins two terms; meek and mädi - to hug and to love. These two words are just like textiles, as they have the special, almost magical ability to wrap you in a sense of peace, tranquility and love.

Ameyalli was born from a love of nature, organic materials, and freedom; inspired by the interweaving of these elements within our human experience.

Ameyalli was founded by Roxana de lira Zepeda who believes that decoration should reflect how we feel and who we are as individuals. Roxana's favorite feeling is knowing that through Ameyalli people can transform a space into a place where they feel safe and defined.

Meant to be. When Ana Lucía and Rafael, multidisciplinary artists, decided to join their lives and start a family, it encouraged them to also find a path to creating art together. What was born was Anaho Studio. “Ohana” written backwards, the name was chosen because it means family, and is the namesake of their lovely daughter who was born alongside this wholehearted project.

Anaho Studio creations are inspired by Mother Nature, combining ancient techniques with contemporary design, using sustainable materials for an ecological lifestyle with a color palette that brings life and warmth to your home. A brand dedicated to conscious customers who value quality, authenticity, and handmade items made with love, Anaho Studio offers hammocks, lamp shades, wall decor, table accessories, and homeware.

Makrana is a Mexican brand dedicated to the design of marble items for interior decoration and home spaces.

Makrana was born in 2017 in Guadalajara, Mexico with the desire to take advantage of the leftover marble slabs used for construction projects, transforming them into items for daily use at home with avant-garde designs and the best quality made by Mexican artisans.

Makrana seeks to elevate Mexican talent and increase local wealth, that is why all materials are sourced locally working hand in hand with Mexican artisans and marble workers. Marble is a natural material, so each product has variations of tones and veins, making each one a unique piece.

ESTUDIO MATERIA is a project that arose from love for Mexican culture and the desire to promote the tradition of crafts from a design perspective.

Designers, friends and proudly Mexican, Shelly and Nahomi ventured to create a brand that allows Mexican crafts to be placed in modern, rustic and well-cared for spaces, thus opening the possibility for more people to find value in pieces made by hand in sustainable ways through traditional methods.

Granada Taller Textil was created by Verónica Isaac, a textile artist and industrial designer born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Taller Granada is a space dedicated to experimenting with different textile techniques and supporting other women through trade and entrepreneurship classes.

Meaning pomegranate in Spanish, Granada Taller Textil seeks to convey the union of people, thoughts, feelings and techniques to create aesthetic yet functional art, such as natural jute lamp shades for the house.

Cecilia and Rodolfo are partners in life and business, with an affinity for wood and a commitment to zero waste.

Cecilia is an interior designer from Yucatan, Mexico and Rodolfo a plastics artist from San Cristobal, Venezuela. Together they began working with wood scraps, launching Studio Caribe in Mexico City in 2015. Their line of wooden crafts are made of national woods including mango, walnut and primavera. For them, the most important principle of their creative process is to put all of the wood to use, without throwing anything away.

Based in Mexico City, today they have stores in San Cristobal and Merida, Mexico.

Ome Citalli emerged through a path of discovering passion and new forms of expression, launching as an artisan textile brand in April, 2020. The name, ‘Ome Citalli’ is translated as ‘two stars’ in Nahuatl; chosen to honor the brand’s Mexican roots while giving homage to the two founders of the project, Paulina and Daniel.

Each of Ome Citalli’s designs are inspired by the stories, personalities, natural phenomena and distinct textures that Paulina and Daniel meet in life. In this way the design process is a deeply personal experience, as creating from this deep place within one’s soul reminds one of life’s trials and tribulations even as it paves a clear path to peace. When knots, different points of view, and split pathways come together in artform, they offer a beautiful mosaic of the human experience.

Ila Ceramica emerged from a process of inner inquiry where ceramics became a space for presence, silence, touch and patience. Founded by Camila Apaez, the brand seeks to promote contemplation and stillness in everyday life through its designs as each piece represents the meeting point between poetry, nature and corporeal silhouettes.

Baron & Vicario was born out of the desire to shake the world, instigate a reflection and promote Mexican craftsmanship. Designer Raul de la Cerda learned the craft from his father while growing up in Texcoco and chose natural resin for his creations in a conscious commitment to sustainability.

Barón & Vicario is an expression of love for Mexico, which goes from the artisan hands that shape materials into products that are not only ornamental but a testament to Mexico’s beauty.

Architects Fernanda, Maria Jose and Stephanie met at college and in 2017 they started their interior design brand, which over time evolved into Atico 35, a multi-disciplinary firm designing bespoke objects of décor to nurture your home interiors as well as your soul.

Atico 35 takes its name from the attic, where memories are stored in long-forgotten objects. Similarly, Atico 35’s creates décor and small furniture that tells a story, while seeking to influence positively the customer’s emotions and, ultimately, their quality of life.

Mexican sculptress Eva Trujillo approached ceramics as part of her training and soon realized she was more interested in pottery. Keen to be her own boss, she founded her brand Chin Chan Pu Ceramica, named after the Spanish version of “rock, paper, scissors”.

Inspired by her surroundings and her love of nature, Eva makes kitchenware such as bowls, plates, and cups, in the shapes of vegetables and plants, to help you enjoy your meals in a joyful manner.

CALA’s mission is to bring the beauty of Mexico to you, into your home, so you can appreciate not only its superb quality and originality, but the connection to the people who made each piece.

CALA promotes the use of handmade, heritage materials, and supports giving old techniques a new meaning through contemporary design. In each product, the past and present coexist. It is the perfect fusion of the beauty and essence of traditional processes integrated into contemporary designs.

‘Espora’ is a Jewelry brand created by childhood friends Annika Ussel and Kytzia Bourlon. The inspiration for the brand’s original creations comes from the kingdom of nature. To the founders, every unique piece is imbued with the energy of the living being it represents.

The word ‘Espora’ means ‘Spore’ in Spanish, symbolizing the special properties that spores hold within themselves. Spores can reproduce without joining with another cell. Like the spores it is named after, the brand’s creations resonate with unity and resilience, and carry messages of renewed energy and inspiration to everyone they encounter.

Andrea Banderas founded Casa Martina Mexico with the goal of giving her clients organic and stylish pieces that would liven up their homes. She turns steel, glass and fiber glass into organic and memorable pieces.

After graduating from college, Andrea found some incredible interior pieces and started her own business. She came to the realization that Mexican products offer incredible possibilities for decorating.

Casa Martina was founded in February 2018 and strives to have a variety of the best decoration items by combining Andrea’s experience as manufacturer and designer.

Miriam Zacarias connects to knot-weaving, also known as macramé, as a form of therapeutic healing. Born in Morelia, capital of the state of Michoacan in Mexico, her childhood was spent exploring the lineage of handicrafts passed down through her mother, creating new things and experimenting with ideas.

Her passion for design and creativity led to studying architecture. But with the onset of the pandemic, Miriam found herself immersed into the world of macramé as the world suddenly came to a halt. MAKRA emerged from this creative outlet as a Mexican brand inspired by the curiosity to create handmade goods that transcend ancestral traditions, directly supporting local artisans to ensure the legacy of these traditions remain.

A family business with proud Jaliscan roots, Cerámica San Germán was founded in 1983 by Jaime and Julieta Bravo, who followed in the footsteps of generations of master potters who developed the characteristic Tonalá style of pottery, featuring blue and earthy tones and animal illustrations.

Today, Julieta and Jaime are joined by their children and their spouses, who moved the workshop closer to Mexico City and incorporated elements of modern design, bringing the business firmly into the 21st century.

‘Sentient’ was founded by Jimena Suares, a lawyer and dedicated environmentalist with a passion and flair for design. To her, fashion is a form of self expression, and a platform for creative living.  Jimena started Sentient so she could create beautiful, environmentally friendly pieces that embody respect and reverence for our planet and for all its inhabitants.  The brand is 100% vegan friendly, and raises awareness for the importance of making timeless, innovative clothing and accessories without using animal products.

Rick has been exploring the connection between beauty and usability throughout his entire life.

His work resonates with a dialectic of aesthetics from parallel fields which he brings to his craft. Rick’s three personal projects, Ruralista, Atelier Productora, and Rossenham are the wellsprings he draws from in his journeys between design disciplines and techniques. He’s happy to link extremes like slow-and-mass production while creating new clay forms that challenge and delight the eye.  Rick’s main objective was to understand and master the process of hand-working both wood and clay together, while creating an array of projects for a diverse client base along the way.

Mother and daughter Patricia & Alejandra are the creative duo of textile designers behind Tural Textil, a brand of textile home decor that works with master Mexican artisans to produce beautifully woven and embroidered cushions.

All pieces are produced using the waist loom, a centuries-old technique used by many cultures to fabricate their daily garments, where the fabric itself is created from zero starting from single threads that are often hand-dyed and hand-spun before being woven.

Marianne Romero is a multidisciplinary Mexican artisan, inspired by the indigenous peoples of Mexico, specifically Huichol art, and Bohemian culture.

She works with threads and textiles to create magnificent yarn paintings, capturing the sensations of nature through the movement of the threads. Integrating her art into earthen material, Marianne also crafts beautiful and delicate ceramic objects and jewelry.

Founded by industrial designers Renata Álvarez and Roxana Rentería, Criollo Studio combines their joy for mixing cultures and craftsmanship. Meaning “indigenous to Latin America” in Spanish, Criollo Studio works with artisans around Mexico to craft beautiful homeware pieces such as cushions, plant pots, and wooden stools.

Working with more than ten different techniques and materials such as stone, marble, pedal loom, basketry, brass, and more, Criollo Studio celebrates the heritage of Mexican art through innovative designs.

Following their passion for natural elements, precious stones, and beautiful design, sisters Alejandra and Gabriela Morales founded Mani Maalai over fifteen years ago, aiming to create unique, Earth-inspired, pieces of jewelry.

All of their work is handcrafted by masterful Mexican artisans that admire and understand the organic nature of raw materials, contributing, together with Mani Maalai’s own designer duo, to its distinctive and exclusive look.

Five years ago Andrea Garcia Flores took a fateful trip to San Cristobal, Chiapas, during which she lived in unison with a community of artisans. There, she met master artisan Helena Rojas, whose technique and craftsmanship became Andrea’s focus in developing her brand Abuelita Borrego.

Today, Andrea and Helena work together with other artisans in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla and Guadalajara, to co-create beautiful home décor items through creative collaboration, while restoring traditional techniques and fostering respect of the people, knowledge and work behind each product.

Originally trained as a graphic designer, Mexico City-based jewelry designer Alejandra de Coss subsequently studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and at Marangoni in Milan.

Telling a story with each jewel she designs, Alejandra is committed to making pieces that can start a conversation. Working with independent traditional jewelers, with no mass production and a socially responsible setup, every piece is hand-made locally, making it an absolute one-of-a-kind.

Siblings Daniela & Gerardo founded their brand Carlota to honor their ancestor Carlota Camacho Hall, a famous painter of the 1800s. A quintessential Mexican brand specializing in the production of leather handbags, Carlota celebrates Mexico’s beauty through artistic reinterpretations of traditional folkloric motifs.

Each design is inspired by a specific element of Mexican culture and each piece is handmade by local artisans from the state of Jalisco in exclusive limited editions.

Fine artist Melissa Avila worked in educational programs in the arts for over a decade before starting her own brand, M.A. Studio in 2017, which was born out of her desire to combine Melissa’s artistic production with Mexican artisanal techniques to produce home décor pieces inspired by Mexico’s history and people.

Employing socially and environmentally responsible practices, M.A. Studio seeks to honor the roots and knowledge inherited from Mexican ancestors and explore them through contemporary art and design.

Started in 2015 by twins Elena and Isabel, CUATA means female twin and is derived from the word coatl, in turn coming from Quetzalcoatl, the God of Duality, yin and yang of the Aztecs. Both with creative backgrounds, the CUATA twins complement each other in their artistic talents and personalities.

Using brass, copper, silver, and gold-plating, twins Elena & Isabel design timeless pieces of jewelry for the modern woman who is not afraid to look her best.

When consumer-goods expert Francisco Garcés met award-winning interior designer Natalia Menache, it was “design love” at first sight. Bound by their shared passion for Mexican craftsmanship and their conviction that the house is a temple for the soul, they developed a strong friendship and business partnership.

Their brand, Nativa Living, is a modern brand that provides superb handcrafted products made with the best techniques and locally-sourced materials, offering exclusive home furnishing collections that pay homage to traditional Mexican craftsmanship, are eco-conscious, and support fair trade.

Starting with Neutro in 2020, a gender-fluid sustainable fashion brand, designer Juan Carlos Damas jumped at the chance to expand, and just a year later he created Neutro Home, a slow-living brand specialized in artisanal home décor.

Neutro Home is committed to the environment and sustainability, all its products are designed by creative director Juan Carlos and handmade to order by a team of expert women artisans from Yucatán, Mexico, to avoid waste of materials or resources.

Founded in Mexico City by Angélica Sarabia, Marbia Marbia merges technology and traditional jewelry-smithing techniques to create beautiful products that celebrate the power and beauty of Mother Earth, with a focus on gemstones and precious metals.

Exquisite rings and earrings are modeled using a CAD program, 3D-printed, then cast in silver using the lost wax technique by talented jewelry master David, who instills his mastery and passion for his work in each piece.

José and Mariana are the incredible couple behind Coolpebbles, a brand founded in 2015 with the mission of making everyone appreciate daily habits and find happiness in life’s little moments, by creating perfect objects that can lessen the stress generated by our fast-moving world.

Coolpebbles collaborates with many different Mexican artisans who excel in their crafts, creating varied home décor accessories that utilize all the magnificent materials that Mexico has to offer.

Professional freestyle footballer Nayib de la Rosa was inspired to start his brand of leather bags to solve the problem he was having during his itinerant ball juggling shows: how would he carry his footballs in a slick, functional, and beautiful manner?

His brand 28th Store was born out of that idea and became a lifelong passion, crafting unique, timeless leather products for modern travelers, Millennial entrepreneurs, and family men alike, while elevating Mexican craftsmanship on a world stage.

Designer Michele de Alba started her brand Al Centro Ceramica to connect the work of different workshops and offer a greater variety of products to clients looking for artisan ceramics while celebrating and recognizing manual work as an example of kindness and integrity.

With time, she developed her own designs working hand in hand with artisans in Jalisco & Guanajuato, who developed a very particular style of ceramic, mixing different pottery traditions from the two Mexican states.

After graduating, getting married, and having two daughters Alejandra Aguilar decided to take a leap and follow her passion, launching her brand of textile designs: Natandra Collections, named after a combination of her daughters’ names: Natalia & Alondra.

All pieces are handmade by Alejandra and range from wall hangings, home decorations, and accessories. The brand favors noble materials, such as cotton and jute, highlighting neutral colors and warm combinations that infuse a sense of comfort, joy, and peace to the environment.

Mastermind of Formas Habitat Creativo, Claudia Bogarín’s passion is all things clay and creative. A Mexican architecture graduate, she passionately uses ceramics to explore the interplay of different shapes, mixing her primary material with a variety of others such as vinyl paint, gold leaf, and wax.

Claudia’s work revolves around the environment, sounds, emotions, and art which manifest themselves in the form of beautiful lamps, vases, and pots that indulge the eye in a feast of sensory experiences.

Coming from a background in Plastic Arts, Jessica de la Rosa launched Taller de La Rosa in 2018, to create awareness about the clothing & objects we surround ourselves with. An ethically-conscious textile business, Taller De La Rosa is holistically-sustainable, considering design, production, and the community when creating garments and linens for the home.

Based in Mexico City, the team works in collaboration with artisans in the Zapotec community to create beautiful pieces filled with energy and love for the Earth.

Friends and former colleagues Ana Karen, Citlalli & Paulina decided to join their combined experiences as industrial, visual, and interior designers to launch their own brand Portia Mx two years ago.

Originating from Latin and meaning “proposition”, Portia Mx designs prints, frames, plant pots, and shelves inspired by the designers’ childhood memories, such as the planter that their grandma had on her patio or vintage artwork with flowers in the living room.

After his studies in Furniture Design, in 2019 architect Diego Garza founded Algo Studio, a creative workshop where contemporary and useful furniture, lighting, and ceramic objects can come to life.

According to Diego, the real beauty in objects is determined by their visual appearance but also by their ability to stimulate our visual and tactile attention. All pieces are imagined by him and created by the expert hands of Mexican craftsmen in the Morelos community.

Sisters Leti and Ana Paola always felt passionate about Mexican heritage, culture, and traditions. Marrying Leti’s expertise in architecture and Ana Paola’s business background, they started their brand Glossar Studio to create home decor that would preserve ancestral techniques while incorporating contemporary design.

In collaboration with dedicated artisans from around Mexico, they create pieces with the aim to revive and transmit the value of Mexican artisanal work, exalting its beauty, promoting local manufacturing, and encouraging fair trade.

Coming from a long line of carpenters, siblings Maria and Santiago were looking for a way to use offcuts from a furniture workshop they were working with. Chechén Wood Design was born to give these wood offcuts a sustainable new life.

Working with master carpenters from Guadalajara, Mexico, and using nine different kinds of wood, Chechén manufactures high-quality accessories that combine Mexican artisanal techniques and materials with modern design, creating beautiful kitchenware and décor to accompany the spaces we inhabit.

Mexican multidisciplinary artist Aldo Ávarez Tostado trained as an architect before expanding his practice to visual arts and object design. He founded his studio piedrafuego in 2013 to create interior decor items inspired by the territory and living traditions of Western Mexico.

Aldo collaborates with master artisans in six different municipalities in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit, using techniques such as woodturning, ceramics, horsehair weaving, and basalt and Cantera stone carving.

Don Beto is the Master Hatter from the Oaxaca region in Mexico. While most people in his small town are farmers, Don Beto’s family is a family of artisans, making beautiful hats to keep the local farmers covered from the blazing sun.

Don Beto has been learning the craft of hat-making since he was 7 years old, channeling his creativity and innovative abilities into the family business. Today, Beto runs the business together with his wife Lilly, and provides a sustainable income to many in his community.

Since childhood, Daniela Chiñas has always loved doing things with her hands. After a Bachelor’s in Textile Design, she mustered up the courage to turn her long-term passion for textile, weaving, and craftsmanship into something tangible, creating her brand Daach in Oaxaca.

Daniela works closely with local Mexican artisans, employing various fabrics and textures which she turns into beautiful works of art, from sculptural installations to ornamental and utilitarian objects. A fan of slow design, Daniela and her artisans weave every single product entirely by hand, which makes all her pieces unique.

Patricia Luévano is a product designer with a Master's in Innovation. Her research project at the Kyoto Institute of Technology sparked a deep love for ceramics, and once back home in Chihuahua, Mexico, she set up her studio Pato Negro.

Each one of her pieces is entirely handmade and a unique and unrepeatable mix of Japanese functionality and Mexican aesthetics, using materials endemic to the country to promote the healthy development of fair trade and local economy.

Samuel and Lucia are a young couple from Tenejapa, a small municipality located in the Chiapas mountains. Samuel, the eldest of 9 children, started working at a very young age together with his father, handcrafting bright and colorful pom poms- a traditional San Juan Chumlaan decoration.

These special Pom Pom strings are beautifully made and are used both as a home decor element or as a fashion accessory that sparks joy.

Natalia and Brian are a wonderful and charming young couple from San Andrés Huayapam in Oaxaca.

The two studied at the Artisanal University of Oaxaca, and soon after graduating, opened together a ceramics studio where they continued to experiment with new materials, textures, and techniques, developing their own special style.

Nelly Ortiz was born and raised in a small town just outside of the city of Oaxaca, known for its unique black pottery, also known as “Barro Negro”. Nelly’s entire family works in the family business run by her parents.

While everyone has learned the intricacies of this craft, each family member masters a specific part of the creation process and has his or her own role. Today, Nelly has a young daughter named Milagrito, “Little Miracle”, who has just begun to learn the secrets of black pottery from her mother.

Marina was working in business administration when she came across ceramics in her research for a creative outlet. In 2016, she made the brave choice of leaving her job to dedicate herself to making and teaching pottery full-time with her brand Matope Cerámica.

Marina loves the infinite creative possibilities ceramics has to offer and is passionate about making objects which people will treasure in her Mexico City workshop, Punto Cuatro.

Maestra Viviana, born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico, has been learning the craft of candle-making since she was 7 years old. Raised by her grandmother, Viviana did not have the opportunity to go to school, but learned this special craft at home from her grandmother.

Maestra Viviana has been known as the living legend of Oaxaca, featured in major books representing the master artisans of the region and exemplifying Zapotec culture. Her name has spread far and wide, taking Viviana across the globe to teach her craft to others.

Ubuntu Market is a brand created by the wonderful, creative and vivacious duo Kytzia Bourlon and Yoyo Cortés. The brand is focused on creating access to master artisans in the rural areas of Mexico so that they can share their exquisite creations with the world.

Their incredible energy and positivity reverberate through every piece, passionately crafted by their talented artisans. Ubuntu Market is perhaps most known for their lovely Pom Pom strings crafted by Samuel and Lucia Diaz and their masterfully crafted hats made by Don Beto Gomez.

Born in Mexico City but with family roots in Oaxaca, Itzel Zúñiga worked with textiles in Mexico, Chile and Brazil, before creating Nana Manos Artesanas to work with Oaxacan communities for the preservation of ancestral crafts and cultural identities.

Meaning “lullaby of artisans’ hands” in Spanish, Nana Manos Artesans is inspired by the sense of warmth and care of childhood when tender hands of our mothers and grandmothers take care of us and lull us to sleep with a song.

Taller Maya is a Mexican non-profit brand, established in 2002, following an initiative led by the Haciendas del Mundo Maya Foundation to preserve ancient Mayan heritage and support local artisans by creating opportunities for social and economic development through self-management and community participation.

Taller Maya offers beautiful, handmade decor items from hammocks traditionally woven with waist looms to culturally rich jewelry pieces, all masterfully crafted by the social artisanal association in the rural communities of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Franco-Mexican designer Sophie Simone began making jewelry as a child, creating necklaces out of vintage brooches secretly given to her by her grandmother. She started her brand Sophie Simone Designs to reflect her love for Mexico and her passion for creating pieces that are timeless, feminine, and versatile.

She gives life to her ideas by molding each design in wax, in collaborations with expert craftsmen who take care of different stages of the process, which is entirely handmade.

Several years ago, Carol Schoch chose a new life for herself, transitioning from a career as an accomplished economist to a designer promoting local Mexican craftsmanship.

She began her quest in finding her inner creative voice, studying textiles and ancestral techniques, traveling throughout Mexico and meeting artisans to learn about the intricacies of their craft. Today, she designs bright and beautiful textiles, blankets, throws and textured pillows.

After years of traveling the world as an industrial engineer in the oil and gas industry, Lucia took the plunge and decided to dedicate herself to sharing her love for Mexican crafts with the rest of the world.

In 2016 she launched her own brand, Lucia Macarenä, which produces high-end fashion and accessories in partnership with the most experienced artisans in Oaxaca, using natural materials locally sourced and ancient production techniques dating back to the Mayans.

Started by Javier Reyes, a Dominican graphic designer, rrres Studio is a design studio based in Oaxaca, working with local artisans who use traditional techniques, such as pedal loom weaving, to create collections of objects for contemporary spaces and interior design projects. ​ rrres doesn’t really mean anything, and as such it reflects the brand’s mission of skewing from professional roles, hierarchies, and business labels: the project is the result of an equal and collective effort between people, places, cultures, and heritage.

Created by architect Agustín Elizalde Urzúa, Estudio Pomelo has organically developed through the years as a place to experiment with the production of functional, modern-day objects using a variety of ancestral crafts from around Mexico.

At Estudio Pomelo designer and artisan work together to innovate traditional techniques and connect their origins to contemporary objects, thus keeping traditional techniques alive and fresh while preserving local identities.

Peruvian born fashion designer Micaela Gálvez is the creative mind behind Metric Accessories, a Mexico-based jewelry line with an effortless, organic and architectonic approach, that uses everyday geometric shapes as its inspiration, creating jewelry with a characteristically clean yet imposing look.

Working with bronze and sometimes wood, Micaela develops eye-catching, statement-making, and often rustic styles, that despite their simplicity never lose their sophistication.

Originally started by Alfredo Fonseca as a family business, La Cosita Chula has expanded into working with over 100 artisans across the states of Michoacán, Chiapas, Puebla, and Tlaxcala. Their work embodies Alfredo’s renewed love for Mexico’s artisanal crafts after he took over his godfather’s workshop and improved production processes.

Each of La Cosita Chula’s products is the result of a highly collaborative process between artisans and designers, inspired by the flavors, colors, people, and stories local to the makers’ communities. Adhering strictly to fair trade practices, La Cosita Chula gives artisans the chance to continue trades passed down for generations, while preserving heritage and generating a positive domino effect throughout their communities.

Sisters Nailea and Denisse Arnaiz Torres have always shared a common passion for anything handmade, artisanal crafts and interior decoration, having being brought up in a family where architecture, design, and arts were the daily bread.

In 2016, they turned this passion into a business and founded Arudeko, making textile products such as cushions and carpets to promote traditional techniques in collaboration with Mexican artisans. Arudeko is the meeting point between the artisans’ expert hands and contemporary interior design, elevating handmade crafts to the level of art and making sure artisans are properly recognised for their masterful creations.

Paloma Romero founded Zaavia to promote sustainable fashion and raise awareness of the waste caused by the traditional textile industry, the second most polluting worldwide. She works with artisans from Guerrero in a fair-trade model, to preserve ancestral techniques while incorporating experimentation and contemporary design.

The result is a collection of environmentally responsible bags and accessories made of palm leaves and vegan leather which transform natural materials into functionally designed pieces of organic art.

Originally from Colombia, Paloma Santacruz moved to Cancún, Mexico for what was supposed to be a temporary stay, when she met Ricardo Duran at a Valentine’s party that changed both of their lives forever. Long story short, they became partners in love and in business when they decided to start their own macramé brand.

Today, the strength of Mx Atelier’s work is in the obsessive attention to detail and the mastery of Paloma’s designs. With Ricardo’s background in architecture and business, the duo have grown their business quickly, creating jaw-dropping custom pieces in collaboration with well-known brands.

Rafful Estudio is a Mexican brand founded by product and interior designer Sonia Rafful. After studying industrial design, Sonia discovered her love for textile and weaving and thought she would match that with her passion for handicrafts: Rafful Estudio was born.

In her workshop in San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico City, Sonia converts natural fibers exclusively hand-dyed with organic pigments into beautiful works of art, such as wall hangings and home decor items. Using a variety of weaving techniques, she shows the diversity of Mexican craftsmanship through different shapes, colors, and textures.

Mariana Aguila Alonso founded Petate with a clear goal in mind: to revive the ancient craft of natural fiber weaving and incentivize local artisans to keep the tradition alive by helping them generate income and exposing them to wider markets.

Petate comes from the Nahuatl word "petlatl", a rectangular mat of vegetable fibers, commonly made to sleep on. Petate reinterprets this tradition by blending contemporary design with ancestral techniques developing products for the home, like lampshades, baskets, and small furniture.

Following her Textile Design degree, Ana Sánchez wanted to create a brand that would promote traditional weaving techniques like the pedal loom on the production of slick designs for modern homes.

Today, she works with artisans in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, to bring you meaningful products that encourage conscious consumption, eschewing mass production and supporting local fair trade.

Sisters Maria Andrea and Viviane set up Albana to promote the development of a social, environmental, and cultural consciousness in their native Mexico.

Their shared love for interior design means they focus on home decor, developing a range of products such as lighting, carpets, ceramics, and accessories in collaboration with master artisans from the states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Estado de Mexico, and Querétaro.

Ana and her mother began their artistic journey over a decade ago when they discovered their shared love for ceramics. They started Anna Lebrija to produce kitchenware collections using traditional craftsmanship as well as modern techniques, making each piece timelessly beautiful.

Today, Ana and her mother keep creating in the hope that their pieces be used to take time to breathe and be present, enjoy a cup of coffee and forge meaningful connections with loved ones.

30-year old interior designer Karla de la Cerda always had a passion for textile design, and a happy Christmas accident brought her to start her brand, Maca Textiles. She made the first blanket as a present for a friend, and was soon commissioned more.

Started as a personal passion project, Maca Textiles has grown thanks to the masterful work of artisans based in Tlaxcala, and Karla’s passion for their creativity and her entrepreneurial spirit.

Founded by Chiapan fashion designer Claire Coello in 2010, Casilda Mut is a Mexican fashion brand promoting the creative and social development of artisan women from the Highlands of Chiapas, through the production of original garments reinterpreting traditional Chiapan fashion.

Today, Casilda Mut works with 70 women artisans from 7 different communities in Los Altos de Chiapas, supporting their professional and personal development, fostering respect and appreciation for traditional crafts, and constantly seeking new opportunities to improve their makers’ living conditions and income levels.

When Livia Dubraska Portillo decided to start her eco-leather business Ohja in Guanajuato, the capital of leather and shoes in Mexico, no one thought it would last. Yet today Ohja works with artisans in the state of León developing slow-fashion bags made of Mexican vegan leather in a cruelty-free environment.

Matching detail-oriented minimal design with a deep love for nature, Ohja is redefining traditional fashion in unique, timeless pieces that generate a positive impact on our planet.

Interior designers Maria and Juan started Maiamé to help preserve Mexican artisanal crafts, breathing new life into remote communities that have been developing handicrafts for generations but have had little access to foreign markets.

The couple works closely with the artisans to design, prototype, and produce modern pieces with character, featuring interesting textures and a level of detail that can only be achieved with painstakingly precise manual work.

Mexican designer Daniel Cauno had a clear mission when he founded his brand Caunoh: help people complement their natural beauty and allow them to shine everywhere everyday, with exquisitely designed pieces of ornamental jewelry.

Using only the highest quality sterling silver, Daniel designs, prototypes and makes all his pieces by hand in his workshop in Veracruz, Mexico, occasionally helped by master artisans who specialize in silversmithing.

Architects Thalía Velasco and Walther Santiago founded their design studio Raíz in Guadalajara, Mexico, with the aim to rescue the long-standing tradition of pottery, one of the most representative Mexican artisanal techniques.

Their work blends traditional processes with contemporary design in pieces that highlight the authenticity of the clay and tangibly show human roots and their ability to stand the test of time. Their products are not just pieces of clay, they are characters who seek to tell new stories.

Jimena and Lorena are bound by a long-term friendship based on their shared love for Mexican crafts, arts and culture, and the willingness to help master artisans preserve their traditions while making a dignified living.

Their brand Artesano Casa was born of this innate passion, and today works closely with artisans creating copper, ceramics and textile products, in a continuous exchange of knowledge that promotes fair trade, building a space where passion and creativity can flourish and stay alive despite challenging conditions.

Darío’s love for ceramics is as old as the techniques he uses to mold clay with his sculptor’s hands. During his training, Darío became passionate about the historical transcendence of clay and created Amate Ceramica to revive pre-Columbian art.

Today, Darío works predominantly with regional clay and experiments with its different reactions to temperature and treatments, fusing two alien worlds - the prehispanic and the contemporary - to create beautiful vases and decorative pieces that transcend time becoming true works of art.

Sisters Marcela & Tania Medina firmly believe that the fusion between artisan and designer is essential to preserve artisanal traditions while adapting them to today's world.

They created their brand Duplo Design to develop homeware products that show appreciation and respect for various Mexican artisanal techniques. From volcanic stone to wood, from cotton to wool, the sisters work in collaboration with master artisans to bring you modern reinterpretations of timeless classics such as molcajetes and mezcaleros.

An industrial designer by profession but jewelry designer at heart, Yucatán native María José Ordoñez started her first collection for Rosa Matte in 2017 with the aim of instilling her love of art, architecture, minimalism, and organic creation into her work.

Committed to high-quality design, artisanal processes, and conscious consumerism, each piece aims to incorporate a femininity, delicacy, and strength that Ordoñez believes epitomizes the courage and power all Mexican women carry inside.

Originally from Mexico, fashion designer Michelle Herrera had the chance to follow her heart and her partner to France, where she earned the nickname of “La Mexicaine”. Consumed by the longing for her roots, she spent an introspective time of self-discovery and creativity that led her to launch her brand Coba.

Michelle’s work is about inspiring self-love and affection while sharing Mexico’s cultural heritage, through mindfully designed .925 silver jewelry with 24k gold plating, enriched by inspirational phrases engraved on every piece.

The brainchild of architect and designer Karina Herrera, Albaricoque was born in Michoacán from a passion for innovative Mexican design and a will to offer a piece of hand-woven Mexico in your space.

Products are handwoven with chuspata, a reed growing near Lake Pátzcuaro and harvested by the artisans of Ihuatzio. With a complex process of desiccation and rehydration, the artisans prepare the fibers to weave baskets, lamps, and furniture with their magical hands.

Sisters Judith and Fabiola Álvarez were raised in a crafty family, with their mother actively encouraging them to create things with their hands ever since childhood. Two decades later, this resulted in Watermelon, a brand of decorative handicraft products for children.

Just like a watermelon, their products are colorful, sweet, and fresh, bringing playfulness to any child’s (or adult’s!) room. Each of their creations is painstakingly hand-stitched and absolutely unique and is sure to steal hearts and evoke happy childhood memories.

A lover of all things Mexican and passionate about helping artisan communities, Alexa Topete used her experience in PR and Communications to launch her brand By Hand Mexico, creating beautiful textile products such as bags, tableware and cushions, handwoven and embroidered by Mexican master artisans.

By Hand Mexico works to establish close relationships between designers, makers and consumers, to generate value for all, improve the work and living conditions of the artisans, and ultimately build a better world.

During his studies Industrial Designer Luis Zarat worked with various materials, but it was clay that allowed him to express his ideas with total freedom and sparked his passion for the extraordinary world of ceramics.

Zarat’s great love for his native Mexico and the wonderful natural and cultural diversity of the country were paramount to the creation of his brand Luis Zarat, which creates stunning unique pieces, ranging from plant pots to candle holders in surprising shapes and colors.

Eduardo Barrita founded Hacer Común as an inclusive design center and social impact project that links talented craftsmen with conscious customers, by creating objects of daily use that revive Mexico’s indigenous crafts using a range of materials such as wood, palm fibers, and copper.

Eduardo believes in the power of design as a tool for social transformation and works collaboratively with his community to use their ancestral artisanal knowledge as a means to improve their lives and build a sustainable future.

Quinta Quema is made up of five passionate Mexican designers from Mexico City, who through their love of ceramics and wood decided to create a brand that makes fun, fresh, and utilitarian objects.

Everything they design is inspired by elements of Mexican culture and nature, such as the vast variety of flora and fauna boasted by Mexico’s dry, rocky landscapes. Each of their beautiful plant pots and ceramic boxes will bring you closer to the heart of their beloved Mexico.

In the words of Fernanda Millán, the creator of Mexican jewelry brand Cefeida, “true luxury is handmade”. Cefeida’s philosophy hails from the Cepheid variable, a star that pulses rapidly through the galaxy. This concept of light, energy and speed is one that Fernanda wants her wearer to feel when dressed in one of her pieces.

Each item is lovingly created in collaboration with master artisans using high quality materials, such as silver, gold plating and inlays of precious stones.

Pop Dots is a Guadalajara ceramic studio founded in 2015 by Melisa Aldrete & Luis Cárdenas, in an attempt to fuse concept and process, resulting in conceptual but utilitarian pieces of ceramics ranging from vases to pots to candleholders.

Melisa & Luis help their artisans to increase their mastery and understanding of their own craft and material, thanks to their collections as well as experimental installations that continue the dialogue between the creator, material, the process and the environment where the product lives.

Ever since childhood, Paulina Garza was fascinated by nature. As an adult, she married that with a growing passion for skincare and a will to make the small everyday moments of life a bit special.

After making organic skincare products for her personal use, she took the plunge and quit her job in marketing to focus solely on her brand Ram Ram, which today makes organic aromatherapy skincare products, handmade with love in Mexico City.

Husband and wife Daniel & Deify created Makamah in 2011 out of a desire to bring more relaxation into the world. The project began with a focus on hammocks given their unique and simple pleasure, then branched out into sourcing the right makers of the product.

Daniel and Deify found their people among Mexican artisan communities, where wonders are created out of simplicity. Ten years on, Makamah is a true celebration of the raw pleasure of handmade crafts and of Mexican heritage.

Chuytikab, meaning ‘hand embroidery’ in Mayan, is a Mexican collective of women artisans from Yucatán founded in 2010 with the help of the Legorreta Hernández Foundation.

Each piece is 100% handmade with a mindful process that goes from the selection of materials to meticulous design and embroidery. Be it a tablecloth, a cushion or a bag, every one of Chuytikab’s products has a piece of its creator’s soul in it, and will directly impact its maker’s life.

Fashion designer Stephania Sanchez founded Palmier in 2019 out of a passion for designing bags. Working with a team of dedicated artisans from the communities of Guerrero and Oaxaca, Palmier develops bags and accessories made of woven palm with unique designs.

Most of the materials are 100% natural and woven by master artisans who have been developing these techniques for decades, while each product is inspired by or named after the beaches and cities of Stephania’s native Baja California Sur.

In 2009 Pola and Libia set out on a mission to discover and revive the textile traditions of Chiapas, Mexico, a land of endless cultural richness perpetuated through the centuries by generations of master artisans perfecting their weaving techniques.

Today, their brand Colorindio works with over 250 craftsmen and women, who skillfully weave their traditions, stories, symbology, and identity into each piece, which is designed by them with Pola’s help and supervision.

Left with a stock of silk from her multi-generational family textile business, it was only natural for Maria Villalpando to create something of her own. Born as a spinoff of the business, her brand Cushy creates elegant, minimalist, modular cushions made out of natural fibers such as handwoven silk.

Today, Maria collaborates with artisans, brands, and artists to produce unique pieces that shine for their quality and versatility, incorporating contemporary aesthetic and classical tradition.

After working in Guanajuato in magazines and editorials, Graciela Padilla decided to put her marketing and design skills towards the creation of her own project, launching Catzín in 2018.

Named after the Mayan word for the acacia gaumeri, a tree endemic to the Yucatan peninsula, Catzín is dedicated to the artisanal elaboration of macramé products, from tableware to cushions to bags, using exclusively organic or recycled cotton thread sourced locally in Jalisco, Mexico.

Established in Morelia, Michoacán, by Bernardo Martinez and two friends, Axoque is a Mexican design studio, focused on creating contemporary design objects and furniture in close collaboration with artisan families.

Axoque is named after a Lake Pátzcuaro salamander, locally known as achoque or the Pátzcuaro axolotl. Like the salamander adapts and regenerates to fit its climate, Axoque seeks to renew itself with each piece they create, fusing modern design with ancestral traditions and processes.

The story of Duna is the story of a chance encounter between industrial designer Mariana García & fashion designer Micaela Galvez, which developed into a beautiful friendship first, and a creative partnership later.

Named after the sensuous and ever-evolving sand dunes of the desert, their brand Duna produces high-quality, comfortable, and versatile robes made of organic fabric hand-dyed using exclusively natural pigments, which are ideally worn on the beach, in the bathroom, or on the sofa alike.

Fernanda and her husband became interested in mandalas when Fernanda studied with a mandala master in North Carolina. After an exhibition in Spain, they became successful enough in Mexico to quit their day jobs and dedicate themselves to their brand Cuicari.

Cuicari means "sing to heal" in Huichol and each piece is mindfully handcrafted with Wixárika and Tibetan yarn by artisans to inspire positive awareness in the viewer and bring us closer to a more inquisitive and connected version of ourselves.

Lovers of Mayan culture and dreamers at heart, designers Alejandra Camargo & Alex Cazola started their brand Thymesia (from hyperthymesia, a condition that leads people to remember things in great detail) to celebrate the Yucatecan tradition of hammock weaving.

Crafted with love by master artisans with over 40 years of experience, Thymesia’s hammocks will brighten up your space while gifting you with moments of pure bliss that you will treasure and remember.

With Le Voyage, all-around creative Fernanda Millán continues the journey in luxurious fashion started with her jewelry brand Cefeida. This time, Fernanda is inspired by the glamor of old Hollywood and the refinement of the French riviera.

Matching the 50s effortless elegance and clean designs with the best Mexican artisanal know-how, Fernanda has created a brand that exudes sophistication and elegance, reinterpreting classics such as the Hat Box to create elegant and practical bags that adapt to the way you travel.

After her Furniture and Product design degree, Eslyvera traveled through Mexico studying different artisanal processes before working as aTextile Coordinator for an NGO in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Her brand Esly Vera Studio was born as aresult of these experiences. Be it pedal- and waist-loom-woven textiles and high-temperature ceramics from Chiapas or white clay from Amatenango del Valle, all of Eslyvera’s products fuse ancestral know-how with a slick, contemporary approach to design.

After her MBA Alicia Rosas set out on the quest of generating social impact through artisanal crafts. She traveled extensively around Mexico before finding two families in Olinalá, Guerrero, that she started working with. Today she employs 45 families.

Whether it be an ornate hand-painted tray, plate, box, or another kitchen accessory, Alicia D’Core’s products are made lovingly by hand through a meticulous process. Ancestral techniques and materials are preserved, whilst Alicia’s modern designs give the pieces a unique contemporary touch.

PiuPiu is a Mexican textile design brand whose main purpose is to create beautiful handmade products using organic materials and traditional techniques. Born out of a desire to seek a slower pace of life and embrace beachy designs and interiors in the everyday, PiuPiu takes inspiration from the brilliant color pallets found on Mexico’s tropical beaches.

Lovers of travel, fun and relaxing in the sun, PiuPiu artisan made designs make the buyer feel that they are on one of Mexico’s beautiful beaches from the comfort of their home.

The brainchild of Paulina Rodriguez, HOLBA came into being in Guadalajara by passionate designers who wanted to piece together their love of design, natural materials and Mexican heritage.

HOLBA believes that Mother Earth has already designed the right materials to give us everything we need for useful and beautiful household creations. All raw materials are 100% Mexican and 100% made from Parota wood and its products use indigenous Mexican names for all of its products derived from Náhuatl and Mayan languages.

The industrial designer duo Ingrid Durán and Manuel Lazareno turned their dreams into reality when creating TUIO in 2014. A play on words, TUIO is the expression of a couple’s dance: YOU + ME.
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Each unique decorative piece is the fruit of a creative conceptual development and design of the product, modeled by the hands of expert Mexican artisans. TUIO’s aim is to create surprising objects that add a happy feeling to every space they are placed in.